Around 40 per cent women in Punjab are obese,said Shivani Gulati,a clinical nutritionist at Max Super Speciality Hospital in Mohali. She was speaking at an exhibition to spread awareness about nutritious foods,on Thursday. The exhibition,Health Mela,was organised as part of the ongoing National Nutrition Week.

Various nutritious foods like skimmed milk,soya snacks,pro-biotic foods,protein powders were displayed for the public and patients in order to inform them of healthy diet plans and to clear doubts about healthy eating.

Gulati said,a survey by the World Health Organisation revealed five per cent of the population in India suffers from obesity,while four out of every 10 women in Punjab were obese. Whether somebody is under-weight or over-weight,the problem is malnutrition. Malnutrition in India is rising due to increasing consumption of junk foods,fried foods and street food, she said.

Gulati said that pregnant woman are totally unaware of their nutritional requirements. She added that the time of the day,proportion of the components and requirements of the body are important factors in deciding a healthy diet plan for an individual.

As an example,she explained that gym instructors these days asked trainees to consume proteins without considering their age,weight and requirement.

Meanwhile,Ashutosh Sood,General Manager Operations of the hospital,said most diseases could be prevented by improving diets and exercising regularly.